Leather-splitting machine



(No Model.) 2 sheetsshet 1.

E. GUMMI'NGS.. LEATHER. SPLITTIUNG MACHINE. No. 332,385. Patented Dec.16, 1885.

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( No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

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LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE. No. 332,385. PatentedDec. 15, 1885.

VJlTNESEE 5 l Unrreo sum EUSTAOE ooMMINeS, or woBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-SPLITTINGIMACHINE.

GJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,385, datedDecember 15,1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUsmcE CUMMINGS, of Woburn, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Leather-SplittingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forniing apart of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention is an improvement upon that described in my Patent No.288,551, dated November30, 1883. In said patent I have described as anattachment to the leather-splitting machine known in the market as theBarton machine, a drawing device or mechanism for producing upon theside of leather being split a tension, the tension or action being uponthe upper split section or grain of the side, and this tension ordrawing action overcame the uneven or irregular splitting of this classof machine, caused by pushing the hide to the band-knife, instead ofdrawing it from behind and upon it. The device described in said patentfor accomplishing this drawing of the side of the leather or tensionthereon comprises two positively-actuated drawing-rolls arranged back ofthe band-knife and on a line above it; and this invention describes amodified form of construction, whereby the same results are obtained.Instead of using two positively-revolved drawing-rolls, I use what maybe termed a drawing or straining roll or bar-that is, a rounded supportover which the upper section of the side of leather being split is drawnby hand, instead of by a positively-operated drawing-roll.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents in end rear elevation theleather-splittin g machine known as the Barton, provided with my drawingor straining roll or bar. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectionthereof,representing the use of a strainingbar. Fig. 3 is a verticalcentral section showing the use of a drawing or straining roll. 7

The machine, with the exception of the roll or bar hereinafterdescribed, is the well-known Barton machine of the market, and it willbe unnecessary to further describe this construction andits operationherein, it being sufficient to say that A. is a revolving belt-knife; bb b the revolution of the roll.

the-feed-rolls, of which the roll I) is a rubbercovered roll of muchlarger diameter than the rolls 1) b and revolves the roll I), which ismade sectional, and the leather is fed between this sectional roll andthe gage-roll b to the knife. I) is the driven pulley. b is the passagethrough which the split leaves the by the feed-rolls upon the knife, sothat the a feed of the leather was from the front and by a pushingaction, and this pushing action caused the leather to fold in front ofthe cutting-edge of the knife. If, however, the side of leather is drawnupon the band-knife, and is not pushed or crowded upon its cutting-edge,then the side will be presented to the knife in a substantially leveland flat position, and the rolls 1) b will properly hold and present thesame,and act regularly and uniformly and in a manner in which theycannot act when the side is pushed hard against them for the purpose offeeding it to the knife.

The devices shown in my said patent for drawing the side to thesplitting-knife work very well, and the modification herein describedwill work ncarly if not quite as well. It comprises a rounded or curvedsupport,D, which is a substitute of the positively-driven roll 0 of thesaid patent, and is used substantially in the same manner that said rollis employed, with the exception that the leather is drawn over the sameby hand, instead of by This rounded sur face or support may be in theform of a roll, as shown in Fig. 3, the roll being free to revolve inits bearing, and covered or not with rubber or other like material, asdesired; or it may be a bar fastened to the cross-piece occupyingsubstantially the place of the roll and having a curved surface overwhich the leather is drawn by hand. It is desirable that the supportshall be shaped substantially as shown in Fig. lthat is, higher at thecenter and to incline from the center to each endand of course the rollmay be so shaped, if desired.

This form is preferable,because the-center portion of the side ofleather which travels faster must be a little fuller, and by forming thesupport as described the side can be drawn more uniformly and with lesstrouble, because of the fullness at the center.

In operation the section a of the side is passed over the bearing orsupport D, and is seized by the operator, who bears down upon the same,thereby causing the section to be strained upon the bar or support andproviding a tension or drawing action upon the section of the side whichis passing over the straining bar or support, causing the same to hugthe supportand to' become smooth,and exerting a straining or drawingaction upon the side while it is being presented to the band-knife.

It is obvious that drawing the leather over the straining bar or supportby hand, even if the leather is taken hold of at but one point, exerts atension or drawing action upon the leather throughout almost the entirewidth of the side, because the tension on account of the strainingbar,and because of its shape,spreads laterally after it passes the edge ofthe bar from the point where the drawing action or strain is applied.

In my said Patent No. 288,551 the drawingrolls shown and described arepositively operated, and although I have in said patent described amodified form of construction in employing one drawing-roll only, yet assaid roll is positively operated I consider that said construction doesnot fully anticipate or cover a roll which is not positively operated,such as is herein described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a leather-splittingmachine, in combi- 4o nation with the feed and gage rolls b b and thebelt-knife A, the rounded straining bar or support D, all substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

2. In aleather-splitting machine, in combi- 5 nation with the feed andgage rolls b b and belt-knife A, the rounded straining or hearingsupport for the section 0 of the side having a surface inclined from itscenter toward both ends, all substantially as and for the purposes 50described.

EUSTACE CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, FRED. B. DOLAN.

